How To Look Your Best When Being Photographed

With so many Christmas parties this month, you are sure to be photographed more than a few times. Here's Heart's handy guide to looking your best when in front of the lens.

We all know that familiar feeling of an embarrassing photo being uploaded to Facebook where you look frumpy and everyone else looks glamorous.

But it's confidence that is key to looking great when you are having your picture taken says Adam Reed, Co-Founder of hair salon Percy & Reed.

He explains: "If you are comfortable with your hair It will show in the photos. Trying a new look can be tempting for a big event but steer away from anything that is too harsh and always keep hair a little softer.

"My model clients say that tipping the chin down is always flattering - however the most important thing is that you are comfortable.

"There’s nothing worse than a fixed grin."

Someone who is used to being snapped is Louise Redknapp. She started her career in girl band Eternal before moving onto numerous modelling projects and telly gigs.

She later co-founded Wild about Beauty with makeup artist Kim Jacob, using their joint experience both in front of and behind the camera to create their range.

Louise says: "The best advice I can give on avoiding the classic mistakes when posing for photos is just to make sure your dress fits properly. It’s more important than the way you stand - if it’s too big or too small it instantly looks unflattering.”

“For me, the best look on the red carpet is glossy makeup, nothing too powdery - a more dewy look.

"It picks up really well on the camera and is much more youthful than heavy make-up.

"I struggled to find products that enhanced my natural skin rather than mask it, which is why I created Wild about Beauty, all the products leave a sheer, natural finish – perfect for the red carpet.

"The key is to not look overdone, which can actually take much longer to achieve."

A great tip from Shehla Shaikh – a Lancome Flagship make up artist is to make sure you are showing off your best angles in front of the lens.

"In terms of angles, always better to look at the camera with the chin slightly down,” she says.

A simple trick to make your lips stand out in snaps is emphasising the fullest part of your pout.

James Vincent, Celebrity Make-up Artist and Director of Artistry and Education for The Make-up Show says: "A great tip for perfect photos is to look at where you are placing your lip gloss.

"Applying lip gloss only in the center of the lips will make your lips look full and perfectly pouty instead of overdrawn. Another easy tip. Add a bit of concealer in around your lip line to make your lips really stand out."

Contouring your face can create angles and make your cheekbones stand out in photographs. But be careful not to go over the top, says Kerrie Urban, Celebrity Make-up Artist for Hair Room Service.

"I think one of the biggest makeup mistakes I see on the red carpet is too light of concealer under the eyes," she says.

"It's a misconception that if you have dark under eye areas that you should cover them with a lighter tone.

"In reality the best way to disguise darkness is to use a concealer that's a match to your skin tone but with a slightly warmer undertone.

"Make-up Forever makes a great Pure Pigment in orange that you can literally mix directly with your foundation or concealer to warm the undertone. But when working with pure pigments, less is more!"